What we can expect from the upcoming Nissan X-Trail

The 10th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) is soon upon us and while the prospect of a fully-packed motor show featuring venerated brands and icons is already exciting, what Nissan has got cooking up has got us even more hyped.

The upcoming motor show is a chance for Nissan to flex its muscles once more and the brand is definitely planning to make a statement. Based on teasers from Nissan’s social media, the automaker is about to showcase four new cars at PIMS this year, and one of them is a name that has been gone for a while. 

If you’ve been keeping up with Nissan, you already know what car we’re talking about, if not, then the car in question is the Nissan X-Trail. While we don’t know the full details just yet, we’d like to speculate on what we can expect from the all-new X-Trail.

Based on the photos from Nissan’s social media, the X-Trail that will make its debut at PIMS 2026 will be the T33 generation X-Trail. For that generation, there are three powertrains that could come with it. The first two choices are either a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine or a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine. These two engines are only available with Nissan’s XTronic CVT. 

The last powertrain, and quite possibly the one most buyers will want, has the same 1.5-liter KR engine we mentioned earlier but paired with Nissan’s e-POWER technology. This powertrain boasts 204 hp and 330 Nm of torque with the front-wheel drive version but can go even higher when paired with Nissan’s e-4ORCE all-wheel drive system. If they opt for the last one, that means the Nissan Kicks e-POWER won’t be the sole hybrid option Nissan will have for the local market.

The T33 X-Trail is a clean departure from the outgoing model that Nissan Philippines last sold back in 2022. Up front, the split headlight arrangement works well with the wide V-Motion grille that carries the brand's design language forward into something sharper and more contemporary. The proportions are more composed, and the overall stance feels topugher than its predecessor.

What makes things more interesting is the mid-cycle refresh that the X-Trail received recently, which many describe as making it look like a younger sibling to the Patrol. The front end was revised with a bolder, more upright fascia and a reworked light signature that gives it a noticeably more premium presence. Nissan Philippines hasn't confirmed which version is coming, but given that the refreshed model is the current global offering, it is reasonable to expect that Filipinos will get the updated face rather than the original T33 front end.

Comparing the T33 versus the T22 generation and the first thing worth noting is the cabin quality, which takes a clear step forward over the previous generation. The dashboard layout has a layered, horizontal feel to it, with a padded upper dash and a clean separation between the instrument cluster and the center console area. 

The X-Trail carries over its seven-seat configuration, though it is more accurately described as five proper seats with two additional spots in the third row that work best for smaller passengers. For a Philippine audience that often prioritizes flexibility over everything else, the addition of a third row is still a major selling point.

One practical feature worth calling out is the water-resistant upholstery that is available on certain configurations. Given the amount of outdoor activity that X-Trail buyers tend to get into, and the not-uncommon reality of Filipino weather, this kind of material choice makes a lot of sense (if Nissan Philippines brings it here). Interior images also show that storage spaces throughout the cabin are generous, and the sliding second row that some international variants offer adds flexibility for when cargo space takes priority over rear passenger room.

With that said, we can expect the PH-spec to offer leather seating, automatic climate control, and wireless charging on mid-to-upper trim levels, that is if Nissan will bring multiple variants of the X-Trail here.

On the technology side, the refreshed X-Trail gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen running the NissanConnect system, which now integrates Google Built-in for the first time on this model. This means access to Google Assistant for voice commands, Google Maps with real-time traffic, and even Play Store app downloads through the car's onboard 4G/LTE connection. The system works independently of a paired smartphone, which is a step up from setups that rely entirely on phone mirroring. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto should come standard on most trim levels, which has effectively become a baseline expectation in this segment. A head-up display is available on higher trims internationally, and with the level of tech being loaded into the X-Trail globally, it would not be a surprise to see that carry over to at least one PH-spec variant.

For audio, Nissan partners with Bose on the top-tier configurations, offering a 10-speaker premium audio system. Whether Nissan Philippines bundles that into the top variant or offers it as an optional extra remains to be seen, but it is a feature that competitors at the same price range are increasingly offering as standard.

One area of tech that deserves its own mention is the around-view monitor with a transparent hood function, which is making its way into the X-Trail globally. Using cameras and image processing, it essentially shows a virtual view through the hood to help with obstacle visibility at low speeds.

ProPilot is Nissan's semi-autonomous driving assist system, and on the T33, it handles acceleration, braking, and steering on single-lane highways without requiring constant manual input. It keeps the car within its lane, maintains a set following distance, and can bring the vehicle to a full stop in slow-moving traffic before pulling off again when the vehicle ahead moves.

In other markets like Australia, higher-tier variants also get ProPilot Park, which can detect available parking spaces and handle the actual parking maneuver autonomously, both in parallel and perpendicular configurations. Some features like autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise have appeared on the Nissan Kicks e-Power, which has been on sale locally for some time, so the technology is not entirely unfamiliar to the Philippine market.

The question for the PH-spec is how far up the trim ladder ProPilot sits. Globally, the full ProPilot system with Navi-link, tends to be reserved for upper trims. If Nissan brings some of its features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist to more accessible variants, then the X-Trail could definitely turn heads.

The X-Trail has taken its time getting back to the Philippines. But if what Nissan is preparing to launch matches even closely with what the rest of the world has been driving, it should land as one of the stronger entries in the local midsize crossover segment. Pricing will ultimately be the deciding factor and if Nissan gets that right, the wait will have been worth it.